Could Texas Rangers Address Glaring Weakness By Trading for Braves Star Slugger?

With DH Joc Pederson on the injured list, should Texas Rangers look to get real power hitting in trade with Atlanta Braves?

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers are not exactly contenders yet at this point in the 2025 MLB season. However, their destiny as buyers or sellers is firmly in their control as the next two months play out.

The team is in an intriguing position, as they sit five games back from the American League Wild Card spots.

Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young is known to be a player in the trade market, whether it’s for short- or long-term success.

Young, like many others, will be evaluating his options ahead of the trade deadline, uncertain if they will be acquiring or offloading.

The Atlanta Braves are leaning towards the latter option, potentially looking to offload a slugger to address a significant weakness in Texas' lineup.

Could Rangers Change Season With Trade for Braves' Marcell Ozuna?

Hitting is a glaring need for the Rangers, and that was before designated hitter Joc Pederson landed on the IL with a right-hand fracture that will sideline him for a minimum of six weeks.

Pederson’s two-year, $37 million deal aged poorly through 46 games. The 33-year-old is slashing .131/.269/.238 with a 49 OPS+. He endured a franchise-worst 0-for-41 streak.

Any of the options that have been employed since his absence frankly have higher upside, and Young must reckon with the fact that his designated hitter can’t do the only job he’s in the lineup for.

If Texas can find momentum over the next two months to position themselves as sellers, that could lead to a splash move toward the end of Pederson’s return trajectory.

The Braves are seven games back from the AL Wild Card race, and should they continue to spiral, Bleacher Report lists DH Marcell Ozuna as a top trade chip for Atlanta.

"In Marcell Ozuna alone, though, Atlanta could introduce one heck of an unexpected variable into this year's deadline proceedings," Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote.

Ozuna is slashing .272/.413/.455 with a 145 OPS+, 29 runs, 27 RBI, 10 home runs, and 49 walks to 57 strikeouts. His 49 walks are the third-most in the MLB.

Unlike the monster of a contract weighing down Peterson, Ozuna is in the final year of a four-year, $65 million contract.

Ozuna is a perfect short-term rental in the trade market, and one the Rangers could pull off in return for a strong prospect, with No. 9 outfielder Dylan Dreiling rumored as a candidate.

If Young wants to make an aggressive push at contending this season, it needs to solve the issue of hitting.

With Pederson’s injury, Texas should look to bolster the position in the trade market.